Demolition of Oxford Street M&S Store Approved

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09 December 2024

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has approved the controversial scheme to demolish M&S’ flagship Oxford Street store, much to the disappointment of heritage groups.

Three buildings at the 1930s department store will be demolished to construct a 2-basement, ground plus 9 storey mixed-use development under plans by Pilbrow & Partners. This includes a public arcade with a new east-west link between Orchard Street and Granville Place, as well as offices on the upper floors of the building.

This is the latest in an ongoing saga which started in 2021 when M&S was granted planning permission to replace the building with a 10-storey block of offices and a public arcade.

After pressure from groups such as SAVE Britain’s Heritage to protect the building and instead retrofit the current site, a full public inquiry was ordered in June 2022, running for two weeks in October and November 2022.

On 20 July 2023, Secretary of State Michael Gove published his decision to refuse the demolition of the building – on the grounds of sustainability and heritage issues. In November 2023, M&S appealed the decision and Gove’s plans to overturn the demolition were rejected.

Why Do Heritage Groups Oppose the Plans?

The SAVE Britain’s Heritage campaign says that the carbon impact of the M&S building demolition far outweighs any benefits. Embodied emissions from the demolition and construction of buildings equate to 40 to 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year, more than emissions from aviation and shipping combined. There is no national policy on embodied carbon emissions from buildings, and the SAVE campaign wants reform in this area.

The campaign points to other successful nearby retrofits such as TK Maxx, which has opened a second Oxford Street store at Mount Royal, leased by Great Portland Estates.

Henrietta Billings, Director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, said: “These are big numbers that can be tackled. Rethinking our wasteful knock-it-down-and-start-again approach to development and re-using and updating existing buildings like M&S Oxford Street is a win-win. It’s good for the planet and it’s good for our towns and communities.

"No-one is suggesting these buildings are pickled in aspic – it’s a pro-growth approach. Restored and transformed buildings have turbo-charged regeneration all over the country, everywhere from Tate Modern in London to former department stores in Bournemouth, Bristol, Edinburgh and Gloucester.

"Our campaign has triggered unprecedented media and public interest and has shown – through the support we received from architects, developers and engineers and our joint AJ/SAVE Re:store architectural ideas competition – that there are plenty of creative ideas and appetite. What industry needs now is clear direction from government. That’s why we’re calling today for urgent policy reforms.” 

“The proposed demolition [of the M&S building] and new construction will emit many thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, increasing our impact on climate change. Retrofitting the existing building up to equivalent energy standards would emit considerably less carbon. I therefore urge you to refuse this application.”

Picture: the façade of M&S Oxford Street building. Image Credit: Matthew Andrews

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 09 December 2024

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